South Dakota gas prices fall half-cent over past week

News Staff - July 16, 2018

UNDATED - Gasoline prices in South Dakota have fallen 0.4 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.84/g yesterday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 628 stations in South Dakota. This compares with the national average that has increased 1.3 cents per gallon versus last week to $2.87/g, according to GasBuddy.

Average gasoline prices on July 16 in South Dakota have ranged widely over the last five years:$2.23/g in 2017, $2.26/g in 2016, $2.67/g in 2015, $3.52/g in 2014 and $3.64/g in 2013.

Including the change locally during the past week, prices yesterday were 61.2 cents per gallon higher than a year ago and are 3.8 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has dropped 2.4 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 63.3 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

Areas near South Dakota and their current gas price climate:Sioux Falls- $2.83/g, unchanged from last week's $2.83/g.North Dakota- $2.85/g, down 1.2 cents per gallon from last week's $2.87/g.Nebraska- $2.83/g, up 5.2 cents per gallon from last week's $2.77/g.

"While just over half of the nation's states saw average prices moving lower, the other half saw prices fall. A very mixed week as oil prices collapsed Wednesday, opening the door for a round of late-week price drops, but motorists shouldn't be fooled- it may not last long," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. "Two things are for sure in one's lifespan: death and taxes, but you can add uncertainty at the pump, especially this summer. President Trump has talked about tapping into the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve to put downward pressure on oil prices, but this would be a grave mistake and only lead to minuscule drops at the pump and only temporarily. Last week's plummet in oil prices came thanks to Libya signaling it would resume oil exports, if there's anything to learn here it's that President Trump has little power over global supply and demand, and if anything, there's few options for the President to bring real change to gas pumps: slow motorists appetite for fuels, see sustainable increases in production or slow down the abrasive and inflammatory rhetoric that spooks the oil market. Until then, there's only one predictable outcome for gas prices for the remainder of the summer: volatile."